Captain Ross's New Secretary
by Clue Impaired
Summary: Captain Ross's secretary has some ideas of her own. Chapter 8 Who I Really Am! Please R & R COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Only OC belongs to me. All others are Dick Wolf creations. I won't shoot if you don't.

The Captains New Secretary

Dan Ross, Captain of New York City's Major Case Squad, was well aware of his shortcomings. No one needed to remind him that he was new in this office and that he'd never be thought of the same way that outgoing Captain Jimmy Deakins had been. It was obvious and Ross was painfully aware that most of his detectives viewed him as a cross between two of the worst leaders in history, the your pick of who depended on who was doing the comparison. Yet Dan was a good captain, he liked to keep his officers in good health and he wasn't there to win a popularity contest.

At the moment he was sitting in his office eyeing the humongous stack of papers that had materialized in his office over the weekend that had to be dealt with. They were the brainchild of some bean counter in City Hall. Someone who had no idea of what it took to run a precinct and just wanted to feel important. Those damned papers had to be sorted, coordinated, filled out and filed in a separate file cabinet that was taunting him from under the pile. And Ross wasn't the only Captain complaining about this tremendous burden, but no one seemed to be listening to them. The Chief of Detectives was responsible for this mess and he didn't seem inclined to supply any help in dealing with it.

"Captain, there's someone here to see you." Alex Eames stuck her head just inside the door.

"Tell them I'm busy." Ross stated without looking at her.

"I see you got the papers." Another woman said.

He spun around in his chair to regard the woman standing next to Alex with a cold arrogant stare. She sent him back a level look and refused to be intimidated. "Civilians aren't allowed in here without authorization." He told her sharply. "You know better, Detective." He chastised Alex.

"Good. It means the only people we shoot are the ones who work here. We start with horses asses. Anyone come to mind, Captain Ross?" the unknown woman informed him, crisply.

Alex was quick to duck out of the doorway. He wanted to call her back and deal with the smirk on her face, but first he needed to deal with this upstart.

"If you're looking for a job, we aren't hiring. You need to go to…."

"Good, because I have a job." The woman interrupted him abruptly. "And it's sitting right there." She nodded at the files.

"You better tell me who the hell you are and what exactly you're talking about or I'll have you escorted out of here." He glowered at her.

The woman folded her arms stubbornly across her front and glowered right back at him. She refused to look away and she didn't say anything. Son of a – she was daring him to do something about it. He was torn between being absolutely livid and being amused at her daring.

Her words played into his memory and he realized that she had mentioned dealing with that mountain of a pain in his backside in the corner. Had she been sent to honestly help him deal with this? He didn't want to appear weak in front of her and truthfully the entire squad but he acknowledged to himself that she hadn't created his bad mood she'd just received the backlash. As soon as that thought occurred to him, he relented.

The woman was quick. She made the first move. "I probably should have introduced myself, Captain Ross. I apologize. My name is Karla West. I've been sent to help you deal with that pile of garbage and familiarize you with it so you can maintain it after I leave." She walked toward him hand extended to shake his.

Ross hastily stood up. He did have some manners, after all. He could hear his Grandmother chastising him for still being seated when a lady entered the room. "I had not heard that they were sending someone to work on that." He gestured toward the offending pile.

Karla laughed in genuine amusement. "Believe me when every precinct Captain screams bloody murder, somebody is going to hear it. It might take me a few days to get it functioning. I can have it set up in a couple of days for the new forms coming in, but it might be a week or two to get all that mess put away properly."

"What kind of security clearance do you have, Ms. West?"

"It's Miss and I'm fully cleared." She dropped her voice conspiratorily. "Just between you and I, I'm even qualified to carry a gun. Some of the Captains are less tolerant than you are about this mess."

Ross regarded the woman in astonishment, then realized she was pulling his leg. He had to smile. "Point well taken, Miss West. What kind of working space do you need to set this up?"

"A large conference table if you have it, preferably in a lockable room or something the size of two desks put together if that is all the space we can manage and I'll have to pick it all up at night. It'll slow down the process, but that can't be helped."

"I think we can find what you need. Will you need help working on this?"

"No, but……" she hesitated.

He picked up on that immediately. "What? I sense there's a but here."

"This is the part that most people find hard to swallow. I'll need access to your office even when you're not here. I'll need a key."

"No. It's against department policy."

"Truthfully that should be also, but you know yourself that there will be times that you have to leave and I'll be in and out of your office frequently. I can't just wait until you return. You can call the Chief of D's if you need to. He is probably expecting your call anyway. He's been made painfully aware of how unpopular this move has made him in the ranks. Do you need the number?"

"I have it. Would you care for a cup of coffee while I make the call?"

"I'd love a soda, thank you."

Ross gestured for her to go ahead of him out of the office. "Eames, get Miss West, here, a drink. I'll be right with you." He told her and left her standing outside his office. He closed the door and headed directly to the phone.

Alex came over and smiled at the woman. Any one who could stand up to Ross like a veteran was someone she wanted to talk to. "I'm Alex, Miss West." She held out her hand.

"Call me Karla. Pleased to meet you." Karla shook her hand, firmly.

"The breakroom is over here. So you're going to be here for a few weeks?"

"Somewhere in that area. It'll depend on how long this all takes me to get sorted out."

"You must be a fast worker to be able to tackle that pile. Are you expecting a crew to come in to help?"

Karla laughed. "They couldn't pay someone enough to deal with that stuff. It's just little ole me."

Alex found herself liking this woman who was about her same height. It was nice to look at someone eye to eye for a change. She acted like she wasn't any newcomer to a squad room. She looked around but it was more for a layout than the curiosity of a first time visitor. "You've been in a precinct house before?" Alex asked.

"One or two. Never a Major Case though. That part is new."

"You have family in the service, then?"

"No, but they aren't criminals, either. Do they have Diet Pepsi?" she asked

Alex realized she's stepped very close to a line there and nodded. "They do. It's cold too. Unless you'd rather coffee or tea."

"Cold Pepsi, please. I'm not a coffee drinker. I just never could get used to the taste."

"Cops live on the caffeine." Alex chatted jovially.

"Maybe too much. I think the stress is worse if you're also buzzed on caffeine."

Alex eyed the woman. She talked like she knew the inside of the brotherhood, but she didn't act like a cop. "You sound like you know." She joked.

Karla grinned at her. "Don't bother to try to figure it out. You'll never guess it. Oh, what am I saying? That's like asking a kid not to sneak a piece of candy when there's a whole jar on the coffee table. You're a detective. You can't help yourself and you shouldn't have to. Go ahead and dig for clues, if you want."

Alex decided she was looking forward to this puzzle. "So you're familiar with detectives, huh?"

"Detectives make their living putting clues together, or they wouldn't be one. I think of them as cats. Always poking their noses into things just to see what's there." Karla teased Alex.

They were in the break room only moments when Ross bellowed. "Eames, West! Come out here."

Alex saw Karlas face tighten angrily. "Go ahead, I'm going to go to the rest room while I'm here."

"You're… Never mind." Alex said. She went out into the squad room.

"Where's West?" Ross demanded.

"Ladies room." Alex told him.

"I saw her just a minute ago. Why didn't you come out then?"

"I did." Alex said reasonably.

Ross was annoyed. When Karla came out carrying her drink he glared at her. "Why didn't you answer me?"

"Did you call me? I heard someone bellowing, but I'm not a dog or one of your officers, so I didn't answer. I don't respond to being called like that."

Ross ground his teeth together to keep his temper. "Here is the key you requested. I'm told you know what is involved in this procedure?"

"Fully aware, Captain. As the Chief no doubt told you."

"Get this set up as soon as possible. I'll want an update on your progress."

"Hourly, daily, weekly or monthly?"

"Daily will be fine." Her passive aggressive attitude really angered him. He couldn't let it go too far.

"You're the captain." She shrugged and took the key, sliding it into her pocket.

"When are you going to get started?"

"If you will show me where I'll be working, I can start first thing in the morning."

"I would've thought you'd want to start right now. You are already here."

"Nope, tomorrow morning will be fine." Again that maddening passivity.

"Eames, you'll be in charge of showing West…."

"One small detail, Captain. My name is Karla. That is what I answer to. I don't answer to my last name."

"That's how we do things here."

"Not if you want me to answer."

"You're in my house…."

"You're house needs cleaning, Captain. You can call me anything you want, but if you intend to talk to me my name is Karla."

"In my office now."

Karla stood completely still except to take another swallow of her drink. Ross had to nip this in the bud right now, if he was going to maintain discipline. "In this house we do things my way. You are a visitor here to do a job. You will abide by the rules of the department. Are you clear on that?" she kept drinking calmly. He hated that she seemed unaffected by his show of anger.

"English is my primary language. And just for your information, calling people by their last names is a tradition, not a rule. I never learned to answer to my last name so I don't. Please feel free to use it as you deem fit, but I doubt if I'll even hear it. Is there anything else, Captain?"

Ross watched in impotent fury as Karla finished her drink, watching him. He turned to stalk back to his office and carefully close the door, then the blinds.

"You shouldn't have flouted his authority like that." The big man seated across from Alex told her, seriously. "I'm Bobby Goren, Alex's partner." He held out his hand.

"How do you do, Bobby. My name's Dead Meat." Karla grinned at him and shook it. She turned to Alex. "Now, where will I be working?"

_This will be a short story with a great deal of discomfort for Captain Ross, but no long term damage. Just enjoy watching someone poke the sleeping dragon_.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Captain Ross New Secretary

Speaking of Irritants

Chapter 2

Karla West was already at work when Captain Ross came in the next day. She had been given an office next to his with a large table and a locking door. He could look through the glass and see her working whenever he needed to. She had piles of papers spread all over the table and it looked like she was using additional chairs as well. She had an armload that she was separating. Her concentration was obvious. He almost wished that she'd acknowledge that he saw her. Her attitude the day before rankled him. He didn't intend to let it continue.

He had been there for half an hour and she'd yet to look his way. He went over and tapped on the glass. She jumped, dropping an entire armload of papers. She whirled around as though she had every intention of chewing someone out, saw him and smiled. She nodded at his preemptory summoning gesture, gave a disgusted look at the mess at her feet and left the room.

She appeared at his office door with, of all things, two cups of coffee and a small sack. "Good morning, sir. You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, please come in and close the door."

She handed him one of the cups, as her hands were full, and did as he asked. He extended the cup back to her. "Oh, that's yours. I was told you like it with three sugars and black. It's, uh, my way of apologizing for yesterday."

"Really?!" he was surprised.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be difficult. I do realize that this is your house and I'm just a guest here. I was out of line. In my own defense I was told you are a hard ass and I needed to get your respect right away. And I have authority issues." She admitted with an embarrassed look. "I may have gone about it in the wrong way, but I really, truly never have learned to answer strictly to my last name. I'll do my best to restrain myself."

"You don't seem to be big on restraint, West." He informed her sternly.

She should never play poker, her face gave her flash of temper away. But all she said was "Point taken, Captain."

He gestured to the bag in her hand. "Am I keeping you from your breakfast?"

She handed him the bag. "No. These are for you, to go with your coffee. Unless, of course, you don't want them. I'll understand."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Not unless it's working." Horrified, Karla immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I didn't just say that, did I? Damn it! I was just thinking it, honestly."

Her distress appeared real. He wasn't sure how to take it. "Did you by any chance put chocolate laced with Ex-lax in here?" he asked cautiously.

"Absolutely not!" her anger was real and vivid. "I don't mess around with things like that! Medicine is a serious business, even over the counter ones. I would hope to be thought smarter than that."

"Relax, West, I was just asking."

"Ah, I deserved that, huh? Very well, I'll shut up before I bite my own foot off. Was there something you needed specifically, sir?"

Just like that she'd slammed up a mental wall that he felt he could bounce a ball off. "I think we've covered the topic I wanted to cover. I need you to not…" he gestured toward the squad room.

"Challenge your authority? I understand, Captain. I will watch myself. Is there anything else, sir?"

He had the impression that she was offended. He knew he had every right to be suspicious of her, yet he hadn't intended to offend her. She was all over the map emotionally. He thought it might be a good idea to keep an eye on her until she left. And that couldn't be too soon. "No, West,…Karla, thank you."

"Do you want me to get rid of those for you, Captain?" Karla gestured toward the sack.

"No, I think I'll eat them. If you were nice enough to bring them."

"I also put some in the breakroom for everyone if you're still not sure that they aren't poisoned. I'll get back to work then. Good day."

Damn if she didn't make him feel like a heel. Had he come out the loser again? He scowled at the door. Karen went right back to her office and picked up the papers she'd dropped when he'd startled her. She never looked over at him, though he watched.

If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he might've seen her wipe her eyes several times. She'd tried to apologize and it had fallen apart. Well, she'd not do that again.

Ross forgot about the woman working unrelentingly in the next office and tended to his job. Except when he left his office he'd come back and find that another large chunk of the offending papers had been removed from his office into a growing stack in the other office. Never once did West talk to him, or interrupt him. He appreciated her work ethic and her efficiency, but he couldn't get the idea out of his head that she was avoiding contact with him.

He didn't leave his office for several hours, just to see what she would do when she ran out of papers to sort. She kept glancing over her shoulder to see if he was still there. He figured she'd break down and come in for more papers whether or not he was there. She didn't. Stubborn, damned woman! Fine, let her stew.

He went out to the squad room to talk to the officers there. He saw her go into his office. He made excuses to go back into his office. He expected her to stop walking back and forth carrying piles of files. She didn't she just kept working. He might as well not even been there. She walked back and forth with armloads. He got tired of being ignored and went to help her.

"Thank you." She said accepting the piles he brought. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry if I offended you this morning. It wasn't my intention." He told her.

She looked at him and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "I would never deliberately hurt you or anyone else. I would've thought you'd at least know that just by the fact that I'm here, with my security clearance, and the fact that it's illegal."

He was outright amazed by the tears and the reason for them. "You assigned too much importance to what happened. I know you wouldn't have poisoned me. Just let's get past this and go on from here. You're doing a good job with this. How are you sorting this?"

"Each form has its pile then I'll need to sort each pile. It's not hard, just time consuming."

"What criteria are you going to be using to sort each form?"

"Some will be sorted by name, some by date and some by case #. It depends on the form. It'll be cross referenced. I'll make sure you have a cheat sheet before I go in case you get busy and need something in a hurry before the system is completely familiar to you."

"How many of these have you set up?"

"This is the 17th. It all follows a pattern that will become apparent when it's all done and on paper. Actually, you are probably one of the ones who get the most use out of this system, because you will be able to fit it into your record keeping system. It's a great way to retrieve information in a hurry. Things that haven't gone into a computer yet."

"Why can't we get it out of the computer?"

"That's just it. It's not in the system yet. It will eventually. As all of this is entered onto the computers these sheets will be replaced with new information. It's a rotating system. With any kind of luck these piles will diminish as the information fills up and they run out of new ways to kill people. The computer system should start catching redundancies in the input phase. It will also log abuses from person to person in the same way."

"That's going to be a long list. And this is all in these forms?"

"These are the basis for that. It's a compilation of old files. The next phase is the use of the final paperwork on current cases to enter into the files. The final phase will be to add the form for the officers involved in the actual cases to fill in as part of their wrap up."

"That's what this is all about?"

"It is. At best, it's incomplete. These are things that were filled out from what older cops remembered, what is in the files and what could be gleaned from faded files. I think too much that has gone into these files is incorrect or time has corrupted the memories. The hope is that this system will spread throughout the country so everything will be available to all enforcement agencies. That's the grand vision."

"You sound skeptical."

Karla frowned. "It's not my job to second guess my bosses. Let's just say that I think it's putting too much of a paperwork burden on the people who should be allowed to do their job on the street not someone else's fact gathering. Maybe somebody's favorite relative had too much time on their hands."

"You sound like a cop."

"I told you that I can carry a gun and you sound like a detective."

"I am a detective. Captain, remember?" he showed her his badge.

"Seems to me I heard that rumor." Karla smiled shyly. "I need to get back to work or the Captain here will have my head, sir."

"I hear he's tough, but he tries to be fair. I'll put a good word in for you."

"You are a prince among men." Karla laughed.

"Get to work." The captain mock growled and left her to her job.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own Karla. Dick Wolf owns the rest.

**Unexpected Opportunity**

Karla was in the squad room the next morning when he arrived. She had gone home apparently because she was wet haired and had on a different outfit. Otherwise she was as busy as ever. He briefly wished he had some officers with more of her ambition. Of course, hers was a different kind of job.

Karla went into the break room and came back out, passing him as she did. She stopped and gave him an absent minded look and smile. Partway back to her room she paused and looked back at him as though an idea had occurred to her. She gave him a brilliant smile and resumed her journey.

Alarm bells were ringing all over in his head. He had the feeling he'd just been marked for something. He vowed to avoid the woman for the rest of the day. At least she was busy and so would he be. It wasn't like there wasn't plenty to do.

As luck would have it, he didn't get to avoid her for the rest of the day. She had to speak to him on several things. Even he had to admit they were legitimate questions, not made up excuses. She paused several times, and he expected her to tell him what was on her mind, but she never did. She shook her head and went back to work.

About 3:00 he made a decision. Whatever it was that was on her mind, had him on edge and he didn't like that feeling. He picked up the phone and dialed the extension in her office. "Wilkes." She answered.

"I need to see you in my office." He told her.

She whirled around to stare at him through the glass. "I-I'll be right in."

She seemed reluctant to come see him. He speculated about that, seeing as how they'd already talked several times that day and she had something on her mind. She was tentative as she entered. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"

He nearly smiled. In the couple of days that he'd known her, she'd never actually called him by a name or title and now she was calling him captain. She was definitely rattled about something. "Close the door, please. Have a seat."

Having a seat, implies actually sitting in a chair. Karla didn't so much sit as she perched on the front edge of the seat. "Is-Is something wrong?" she asked.

"You tell me." He was sort of enjoying the moment. She had gotten one up on him at first and now he was doing it to her. Then he was ashamed of himself. She was a good employee of someone and he was the professional here. And a captain. "I couldn't help but notice that every time we talked today, you started to say something, then you would stop before you did. Is this something that I need to be concerned about?"

"No. Everything's going fine in there. Unless you need the room and then I'll have to find somewhere else to work."

"No, I don't need the room. Tell me what it is that's been bothering you."

Karla didn't tell him right away then she took a deep breath. "I want to ask you a favor."

"A favor? What kind of favor?" he was wary.

"Well, I'm not asking you to cut off an arm or donate a kidney, for heavens sake." She bristled a bit.

"I'm glad of that. So it's not lifethreatening then. What is it that is such a horrendous favor that you can't just outright ask."

"I want to ask you out to dinner."

"Dinner? Did I hear you correctly?"

"You did. I'm asking you to have dinner from appetizer to dessert with me Saturday night." She lifted her chin with bravado in her entire demeanor.

"I don't know what to say. It's not really department policy for the captain to fraternize with other…"

"You won't be fraternizing. Exactly. It will be you, me and about 100 other people so it's not like it's an intimate dinner." She winced and her face got red. "I mean it's a public function and we won't be alone for a moment."

Ross found himself intrigued by the way this poised appearing young woman kept putting her foot in her mouth. Her face couldn't have been a brighter red if she'd gone out in the sun all afternoon. "What exactly is this dinner about?"

"I belong to an organization and they're having an awards banquet this Saturday night. It's an awards banquet/fund raiser for an animal shelter. I've already bought the tickets. I was going to go alone, but it's mostly a couples thing. I realize we're not a couple, but this way I won't be the odd man out and you get a really nice dinner out of it if …" she paused. "If you want to go that is. No pressure, feel free to say no. I'll understand."

He considered doing just that, he really did. But the sad fact was that he had just the smallest soft spot for people who were expecting to be rejected and his social life was sadly lacking. Being a police captain was an excellent job, but it tended to isolate you from your peers. While Karla wasn't exactly of the same rank as he, she was at least part of the brotherhood as the saying went. And with her unique standing she wasn't considered off limits socially speaking. "I'm not busy. How formal is this?"

"A nice suit is all. Some of the men are wearing tuxes but that's more because that's the only time they get to wear them. And some of them are wearing theirs because their wives insist. Do you have a tux you need to air out? If you need one, we can get a rented one."

"I think I have that covered." Ross said hastily. "How formal do you want to be?"

"I have a gown. Or just a nice dress. It doesn't matter to me. I hadn't decided."

"Then we'll do it up right. What time do you want to get picked up?"

"I wanted to be there at 6:00. It starts at 7:00, but I like to be there early to stave off any problems that may crop up and there's always a few people that we have to keep and eye on before they disrupt everything. Oh, and just so you know, it completely alcohol free. Some of the guests have made ,uh, nuisances of themselves in the past so we went non-alcoholic this year. Is that a problem?"

Ross smiled at her. "In spite of the reputation to the contrary, not everyone needs alcohol to have a good time. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"I'll have to drive in. I live a way out. I can meet you here, if you want. It'd be easier for me."

"How far out do you live?"

"A long way."

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"It's irrelevant. I know you could find out if you really wanted to. I'm not ashamed of it, it just isn't useful. It's not like we're going to be going out more than once. This is a mercy date and I know that. I just intend to have a good time with a friend. It's as simple as that."

Ross got the impression she was expecting him to back out after all. "Simple as that. It's a date then."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. I'd better get back to work now."

"Good idea."

Ross watched her leave his office and decided that he was looking forward to spending time with her outside of the office. Sure, he could have said no, but he wanted to go. He thought he'd enjoy himself and he intended for her to as well.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own Karla. Dick Wolf owns the rest.

**Unexpected Opportunity**

Karla was in the squad room the next morning when he arrived. She had gone home apparently because she was wet haired and had on a different outfit. Otherwise she was as busy as ever. He briefly wished he had some officers with more of her ambition. Of course, hers was a different kind of job.

Karla went into the break room and came back out, passing him as she did. She stopped and gave him an absent minded look and smile. Partway back to her room she paused and looked back at him as though an idea had occurred to her. She gave him a brilliant smile and resumed her journey.

Alarm bells were ringing all over in his head. He had the feeling he'd just been marked for something. He vowed to avoid the woman for the rest of the day. At least she was busy and so would he be. It wasn't like there wasn't plenty to do.

As luck would have it, he didn't get to avoid her for the rest of the day. She had to speak to him on several things. Even he had to admit they were legitimate questions, not made up excuses. She paused several times, and he expected her to tell him what was on her mind, but she never did. She shook her head and went back to work.

About 3:00 he made a decision. Whatever it was that was on her mind, had him on edge and he didn't like that feeling. He picked up the phone and dialed the extension in her office. "Wilkes." She answered.

"I need to see you in my office." He told her.

She whirled around to stare at him through the glass. "I-I'll be right in."

She seemed reluctant to come see him. He speculated about that, seeing as how they'd already talked several times that day and she had something on her mind. She was tentative as she entered. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"

He nearly smiled. In the couple of days that he'd known her, she'd never actually called him by a name or title and now she was calling him captain. She was definitely rattled about something. "Close the door, please. Have a seat."

Having a seat, implies actually sitting in a chair. Karla didn't so much sit as she perched on the front edge of the seat. "Is-Is something wrong?" she asked.

"You tell me." He was sort of enjoying the moment. She had gotten one up on him at first and now he was doing it to her. Then he was ashamed of himself. She was a good employee of someone and he was the professional here. And a captain. "I couldn't help but notice that every time we talked today, you started to say something, then you would stop before you did. Is this something that I need to be concerned about?"

"No. Everything's going fine in there. Unless you need the room and then I'll have to find somewhere else to work."

"No, I don't need the room. Tell me what it is that's been bothering you."

Karla didn't tell him right away then she took a deep breath. "I want to ask you a favor."

"A favor? What kind of favor?" he was wary.

"Well, I'm not asking you to cut off an arm or donate a kidney, for heavens sake." She bristled a bit.

"I'm glad of that. So it's not lifethreatening then. What is it that is such a horrendous favor that you can't just outright ask."

"I want to ask you out to dinner."

"Dinner? Did I hear you correctly?"

"You did. I'm asking you to have dinner from appetizer to dessert with me Saturday night." She lifted her chin with bravado in her entire demeanor.

"I don't know what to say. It's not really department policy for the captain to fraternize with other…"

"You won't be fraternizing. Exactly. It will be you, me and about 100 other people so it's not like it's an intimate dinner." She winced and her face got red. "I mean it's a public function and we won't be alone for a moment."

Ross found himself intrigued by the way this poised appearing young woman kept putting her foot in her mouth. Her face couldn't have been a brighter red if she'd gone out in the sun all afternoon. "What exactly is this dinner about?"

"I belong to an organization and they're having an awards banquet this Saturday night. It's an awards banquet/fund raiser for an animal shelter. I've already bought the tickets. I was going to go alone, but it's mostly a couples thing. I realize we're not a couple, but this way I won't be the odd man out and you get a really nice dinner out of it if …" she paused. "If you want to go that is. No pressure, feel free to say no. I'll understand."

He considered doing just that, he really did. But the sad fact was that he had just the smallest soft spot for people who were expecting to be rejected and his social life was sadly lacking. Being a police captain was an excellent job, but it tended to isolate you from your peers. While Karla wasn't exactly of the same rank as he, she was at least part of the brotherhood as the saying went. And with her unique standing she wasn't considered off limits socially speaking. "I'm not busy. How formal is this?"

"A nice suit is all. Some of the men are wearing tuxes but that's more because that's the only time they get to wear them. And some of them are wearing theirs because their wives insist. Do you have a tux you need to air out? If you need one, we can get a rented one."

"I think I have that covered." Ross said hastily. "How formal do you want to be?"

"I have a gown. Or just a nice dress. It doesn't matter to me. I hadn't decided."

"Then we'll do it up right. What time do you want to get picked up?"

"I wanted to be there at 6:00. It starts at 7:00, but I like to be there early to stave off any problems that may crop up and there's always a few people that we have to keep and eye on before they disrupt everything. Oh, and just so you know, it completely alcohol free. Some of the guests have made ,uh, nuisances of themselves in the past so we went non-alcoholic this year. Is that a problem?"

Ross smiled at her. "In spite of the reputation to the contrary, not everyone needs alcohol to have a good time. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"I'll have to drive in. I live a way out. I can meet you here, if you want. It'd be easier for me."

"How far out do you live?"

"A long way."

"You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"It's irrelevant. I know you could find out if you really wanted to. I'm not ashamed of it, it just isn't useful. It's not like we're going to be going out more than once. This is a mercy date and I know that. I just intend to have a good time with a friend. It's as simple as that."

Ross got the impression she was expecting him to back out after all. "Simple as that. It's a date then."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to it. I'd better get back to work now."

"Good idea."

Ross watched her leave his office and decided that he was looking forward to spending time with her outside of the office. Sure, he could have said no, but he wanted to go. He thought he'd enjoy himself and he intended for her to as well.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Banquet Fun**

Over the next few days, Ross was able to find out that Karlas dress was blue and she did indeed live quite a way out of the city. He ordered her a small wrist corsage and hired a limo to take her out in. Extravagance just seemed the way to go. He made sure his tuxedo fit and had it pressed. Okay, so overboard was the watchword, but he thought she would appreciate the gestures.

She arranged to meet him at a hotel near the edge of the city. He sat back and enjoyed the drive. Karla was ready when he knocked on her door. She had taken her hair and swept it to the top of her head and the dress she wore was a stunning gown. He was glad he'd decided to wear his tuxedo. "Good evening." He told her.

She smiled at him. "Hello. You look very handsome tonight."

"Thank you. You look stunning. This is for you." He held out the corsage of blue lilies.

"Oh, they're lovely, but you didn't have to." She was genuinely pleased.

"I wanted to."

"Thank you. I like them very much."

"Since we'll be spending the evening together I think we should be on a first name basis tonight. I'd like it if you called me Dan."

"Thank you. I wasn't sure how you'd want to be addressed. I never thought to ask." Karlas smile was shy. "I'm ready to go, if you are."

"Just give me an address."

"Let me get my jacket. It's a little cool tonight." Dan Ross stood in the moonlight while Karla stepped inside her room. She came back empty handed. "I guess I forgot to bring it. I should be alright."

"We just won't stand outside in the dark then." Ross teased.

"Oh, now why didn't I think of that." Karla laughed. "So lead on, sir."

The limousine was huge and Karla looked around in awe. "Have you ever been in a limousine before?" Dan asked.

"No. I once gave someone a ticket who was driving one, though. Does that count?"

"No. Go ahead and look around."

Karla discreetly looked all over the car while Dan was amused by her curiosity. "If you want there's some champagne in the frig there."

"I don't drink, but you can have some if you like." Karla smiled at him. "I really appreciate this. I've never done anything like this before."

"This means a lot to you doesn't it?"

"The banquet? Not really. The time and expense you put into this. That's what means a lot to me. We might want to talk just for a minute about this banquet though. Just so you know, they know I'm a cop. But that's all they know. I just tell them that I'm just one of many. I don't tell them anything else. I've never done any special favors for any of them nor will I and they know it. If you want to tell them who you are and what you're rank is that's fine. I don't care to. I would like to know if you do, though so I can act accordingly."

"Do you think they'll ask?"

"It might come up." Karla shrugged. "I'm not ashamed of what I do, but some of these people are social climbers and I don't think they should get any special favors just because they have money."

"I don't know what you're rank is." He reminded her.

Karla laughed. "I'm between ranks right now."

"You can't be…."

"Dan, leave it alone."

"One of these days I'm going to find out about you."

"You will because I'm not trying to hide anything. I really am outside the system right now. If you really want to know who I am you could find out. I'm hoping you'll leave it alone for just a few more days."

"You aren't trying to set me up are you?"

"No, Dan, I'm not. You'll understand why soon. So are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Going to tell them what you do for a living?"

"It depends on who asks and why. I'm here with you for a good meal and the company."

"And a good meal it will be too. If it isn't I'll know exactly who to blame and stuff will fly. _And_ I'll take you out to any restaurant you choose for a good meal, my treat."

"You need to be careful. That could be misconstrued as a bribe." He said only half serious.

"Not in the least. It would be an apology for a bad meal and a thank you for going with me anyway." Karla laughed. "I'm honestly not looking to butter anyone up or make points with anyone. I just want to have a good time and enjoy the company. Does that make you uncomfortable? Because believe me, that was never my intention. You can still back out if you want to."

"I don't but I would like to get a word in edgewise once in a while." He teased.

Karla blushed. "Sorry. I babble when I'm nervous or excited."

"Well, you can relax. We're just friends out to have a nice evening."

The awards dinner was in a nice hotel meeting room. Dan was happy he'd worn his tux because most of the people were wearing formal wear and tuxs. They appeared to know Karla and greeted her warmly. She smiled and greeted them all by name, introducing Dan to everyone. She was in her element here. These people were businessmen and their wives with money. Karla was at home with them.

As soon as they stepped into the room, which was bigger than expected, there was a swarm of people who tried to get to her to ask questions. "Just a moment, people. Dan, would you excuse me for a moment? I need to deal with this then I'll be back."

"Go ahead. I'll be fine."

She moved off listening with head bent to the several people around her. She stopped a short way off and started delegating work. He had to admire her technique. Two people in particular were arguing with her.

"She's a wonder, isn't she?" a male voice told him.

Dan turned to find one of the business men he'd met outside. "She's taking care of this?"

"Every year she takes on this fiasco. She's gotten good at it, too. It gets a little bigger and better every year. She took over when my Stephanie got sick and now she just does it all. I'd say she'll make a good organizer at nearly anything. She just has a knack for it. She's a people person, you know."

"No, I didn't know. We work in the same place, but we haven't exactly been close."

"That's a shame. She's really a great gal. If I was ten years younger I'd be tempted to go out with her. Doubt if she'd have me, but I'd give it a try."

"Wouldn't Stephanie mind?"

The man chuckled. "Mind? She'd skin me alive. But I'm old, I'm not dead. There's a lot more to a woman than a pretty package and Karla has it all. If you know what I mean."

"I'll keep that in mind." Dan said drily.

The other man gave him an amused look and moved off. Karla was still talking to the two troublemakers who appeared to have a difference of opinion. She stiffened angrily and spoke sharply to them, including both of them in her look. One nodded and moved away. The other squared off with Karla. Her very demeanor was confrontational.

Karla drew herself up menacingly and the other woman backed off. Karla shook her head sharply and said something. The other woman made a comment and Karla shook her head again. The woman wasn't happy but she moved off.

When Karla came back to him she smiled. "All done. Sorry for the wait. I see you met Jake. He's something, isn't he? He acts so tough, but his wife has him wrapped around her little finger and he likes it that way. He's one of our biggest contributors."

"What was that all about?"

"Organizational details. Those two have never gotten along and they use every opportunity to try to one up each other. We have this happen a lot. I have the final say and it bothers them, but when it comes to signing up to do the whole thing, neither one can be bothered. It's just one of those things." She shrugged.

"How long have you been organizing this?"

"Just a couple of years. It keeps getting easier. I'll be able to do it in my sleep soon. So we have refreshments set up over here until dinner and there's some tables over there with the awards to be presented if you want to look. That's usually where most people congregate and discuss business. We have a few people here who only send in checks and this is the only time they actually are involved in our activities. You could do a lot of good for the department if you were seen there. As long as you're not a lawyer they won't eat you alive."

"You have a cops sense of humor. And for the record, lawyers are on our side."

"If you say so. I happen to disagree." She said it with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

She glanced over his shoulder and stiffened warily. "Heads up, Captain. We are about to have company."

The sudden use of Dans title made him whirl around to see what she saw. Coming in the door was a man who looked harmless enough, except he was overly jovial and most people moved just a bit away from him. He waved to a lot of them, calling them by name, but he was obviously drunk and looking to interact with someone. He spotted Karla and came toward her.

"Hey, Baby, how are you?" He made as if to grab her, in spite of Dan standing right next to her.

Dan read her body language and acted accordingly. He placed himself between Karla and the man and put his hand out to him. "I'm Dan Ross. Karlas date."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

**My Date!**

The man stopped and stared at Dan with an amazed look on his face. Most of the people he knew were put off by his demeanor and he liked it that way. He was a rough player used to bullying his way through polite society. He hadn't counted on finding someone at this function that would stand up to him. He squinted at Ross and finally shook his hand, using the strong grip to try to intimidate the captain.

Except Ross's life and his career had been spent dealing with exactly this same kind of man and he never flinched. He gave as good as he got. The man was once again surprised. He was wary now. "Mark. Mark Lewis."

"It's so nice of you to come, Mr. Lewis."

"Mark, you know the rules. No drinking and if you make a scene, you're out of here." Karla told him firmly.

"I'm not going to make a scene, darlin. I was just being friendly." Mark oozed at her.

"Don't call me that and you're already drunk. You can stay _if_ you behave yourself. I mean it, Mark. I worked hard on this and I won't let you ruin it. I will throw you out on your ass if you cause trouble." Karla warned.

Mark raised his hands in the air. "I promise, no trouble, officer." He grinned at her. "So what awards are you up for?"

"Don't worry about it. Find your seat, Mark. The dinner will be served soon. Dan, will you excuse me a moment? I need to make sure everyone starts finding their seats."

"Go ahead. Mark and I will just stand here and chat." Dan smiled at her. Karla gave him a dubious look and left to go make her announcement. Dan turned to Mark Lewis. "I know and you know that you came here with the intention of causing trouble. I'm telling you right now, that if you do, not only will you be leaving, you will be doing so in handcuffs and it won't be for just a night in jail. This banquet means a lot to her and it's going to go off without a hitch. Are we clear on that?"

"So you're a cop like my little sweetheart, huh?"

"Yes. I'm a member of the NYPD." Dan told him. "If I ran a check on you, I'm betting that you have had some dealings with the police. I'm even betting that it wouldn't be your first disturbing the peace arrest. You know what that means. It'll be a contempt of court citation and probably a stretch in jail. You might want to think about that before you do anything disruptive."

Mark was a lot of things, but brave, no matter how drunk, wasn't one of them. Nor was he stupid. He didn't know Dans rank or anything else about him, but he recognized that what he said was not just hot air. He was a smart man with degrees in college and actually a pretty decent guy when he wasn't drunk. He decided that for the time being he'd behave himself. "I-I better find my seat. Don't want Karla kicking me out."

"Good man." Dan said.

Mark lurched away and Dan turned to look for his seat and Karlas. She found her way to him within a few moments. "What happened with Mark? I hope he doesn't make a scene. We were kicked out of the last couple of places when he made a total mess of the place. We won't be able to go back to those places again."

"I don't think he'll be making any trouble tonight. He seems worried that you'll throw him out. How come you didn't ask him to come with you? He might just behave himself if you're his date."

Karla gave him an unladylike snort. "I was new to the club and I went out with him on one date. That's before I found out what kind of jerk he is when he's been drinking. We never went out again and we won't but he doesn't give up that easy. Did he say he won't give me any trouble?"

"Those were his exact words."

Karla shook her head. "I put him at the table with the strongest guys here, but he is just so unpredictable."

"Relax. I explained to him that he would be more than just thrown out of here if he gets out of line. I seriously doubt it'll be a problem."

"I hope so. Thank you, Dan, for trying to cut him off." She smiled at him and put a hand on his arm.

Dan didn't know whether to be uncomfortable or flattered. He chose to be flattered.

"Will everyone please have a seat? We'll begin momentarily." Someone from the podium spoke into a microphone.

"Did you find our seats? I didn't get a chance to look."

"I saw them over here." Dan said. He escorted her to the table nearest the stage. They were against the wall facing the room. Dan mentally looked at the floor plan and looked for the safest way to exit if he had to and where exactly Mark Lewis was sitting. Someone had placed him strategically near the exit. He was happy over that.

Karla touched his arm and smiled up at him. "What do you want to drink?"

He sat down and noticed the waitress looking at him. "Any thing you have in a cola will be fine."

"I'll be right back with them." She said.

Dan continued to look around. Since he'd been talking to Mark the room had become a lot more crowded. Nearly every seat was filled and most people were having a good time. Except where Mark was and he was rather ostracized. He attempted to make conversation with the woman next to him but her husband drew her attention away from him. He grew angry. He was being deliberately humiliated and it wasn't going to be a good thing. Even if he'd brought it on himself, it didn't bode well for tranquility.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the society for a benevolent home for all animals annual awards banquet. I'm Celise Johnson, your emcee for the evening. Now while they bring the drinks and start passing out food, we'll get started with the awards. First up, is…."

Karla had promised a good meal and she was correct. The only trouble that Dan could see was that too many people brought every little problem to her. She would patiently answer the person and go back to her meal and conversation without missing a beat. He was impressed with her ability to remain unruffled through it all. Didn't these people have a brain in their heads? He found himself wishing that they could have a meal without the constant interruptions. Whoa, where did that come from?

There was a lot of jovial clapping and hassling of the awards winners. It seemed to him that everyone got an award for something, no matter how small. Some seemed to be so minute that he was surprised that anyone noticed, but everyone was happy and he didn't see the harm. The noteable exception was Mark Lewis and he was sitting in his seat fuming while everyone else received an award.

"And now the final award goes to…."Celise Johnson started to say.

"Wait a minute. You have given an award to everyone including the stinking janitor of the kennel. I'm part of this too, I gave a significant donation to you, and I deserve recognition for it." Mark leaped to his feet.

"Mark, sit down. We're going to end this…" Celise started to say.

"No, I won't. This is a farce and I won't be a part of this. Some of you stuck up, rich, busybodies who can afford to give money but not your heart don't deserve even a piece of paper. Especially not those certificates." He yelled. He seemed to feel he'd been ignored and was entitled to act out.

Ross stood up. Mark noted the movement. He hesitated for a moment but his anger was too great. Ross only watched him in his best "don't mess with me" cop stare.

Mark was watching him, but he wasn't about to miss his big chance to cause trouble. "I gave plenty of money to this group. Where's my award?" he reached down and overturned the table. Dishes went flying and people scattered hurriedly.

Freed of the table the other two men who'd been sitting with him came after him. They attempted to tackle him, but he was a big guy and he easily resisted their untrained attempts to subdue him. Dan Ross was under no such restraint. He came over to the man and ducked his attempt to punch him in the face. When Ross came up, he came up swinging. He hit him in the stomach with his left hand and then clipped him on the exposed jaw with his right. Mark went down like a felled tree.

Ross was on him in a heartbeat and pulled cuffs out of his pocket slapping them on him. "You are under arrest." He told him coldly.

Karla was by his side when he stood up and helped Mark up. "You brought cuffs with you?" she asked amused.

"Some people carry American Express. I carry cuffs." He grinned at her. "We need to call this in."

"I already did." One of the other guests said, looking pleased with himself.

Karla stepped over in front of Mark. "The truly sad part about this, Mark, is that if you had been quiet for just a few moments longer you would have gotten the award that you wanted. You were our biggest contributor this year and that last award had your name on it. Of course, you've never been around for this long before or you'd have known that. I think in lieu of this kind of behavior that we'll have to rethink this award. It will be given to someone else."

"I want my money back, then."

"I can't do that, Mark. It's already been spent and whatever might have been left is going to have to the hotel to take care of damages. And as the chairman of the organization, I have the duty to tell you that you are officially no longer welcome here. Your membership is cancelled and we will be pressing charges."

"And so will I." Ross said.

"You're just a cop. That doesn't mean squat. I'll be pressing charges for police brutality." Mark spouted.

"There are too many witnesses. It'll never stick." Karla informed him.

"They'll never testify." Mark sneered looking around.

Karla looked around. "I'll testify. Who else will? Stand up please."

Everyone stood up. Dan told him. "You are wrong, Mr. Lewis. I'm a detective. Captain Dan Ross, NYPD. You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…." Dan took him out to the lobby.

The noise in the room was deafening. Karla had the waiters help her lift the table up and salvage what they could of the dishes. Celise Johnson came over to her. "Should we leave? I don't think anyone else is interested in the ceremony now." She said.

"Actually we can't leave yet. We all have to give statements to the police as witnesses. Find out who had the next biggest amount of contribution and we'll present that. They'll just have to wait for the award to be changed. And let's get these tables moved back. We're still going to have the dancing. Damn it, we aren't going to let him spoil another banquet."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Dan heard the music start. He was turning over Mark Lewis to the patrol car that had shown up. He told them he would be down to their precinct in the morning to do the paperwork. He went back into the banquet room to see that Karla had managed to get a table set up where someone was taking the names of the banquet attendees and the floor had beencleared and people were dancing. "Did I miss something?" he asked her.

Someone noticed him come back in. They started clapping and so did most of them. He was embarrassed. They went back to their business. "I was just doing my job." He said.

Karla smiled at him. "You have done something that no one else has done in four years. You deserve it. Can I ask you one more favor? Just this last one?"

"What is it?" he asked, cautiously.

"Would you dance with me?"

"Dance? I'm not exactly the light footed type."

"I think you are better than you think. Alright, if you don't want to. I've got a table set up for them to give us names and phone numbers so we can use them to build the case against Mark. Most of the people are already signed up with the secretary so if they get missed we can call them anyway."

Karla turned to look around. She was hurt, but trying very hard not to show it. Dan felt like a heel. He really was having a good time and wanted to make the rest of the night memorable. He reached over and took her hand. "If you're willing to risk your toes, I'm willing to walk on them." He said.

"Are you sure?" Karla asked.

"I'm sure." He said. The music wasn't fast and he pulled her into his arms. She was just the right height to dance with. Several other couples had taken advantage of the open dance floor. They congratulated them both as they passed on the floor. Karla on her banquet handling and Dan on his handling of Lewis.

Dan thanked them for their compliments, but Karla seemed embarrassed. The guests were starting to leave when the music ended and the hotel manager was waiting for Karla by the door.

She sighed and gave him a resigned look. She squared her shoulders. "Excuse me, I need to take care of this." She pasted a smile on her face and turned toward the manager.

Dan wasn't about to let her face the man with the cold look on his face, alone. He recognized the look of a manager who was prepared to make trouble and demand restitution. Karla glanced at him in surprise when he joined her, walking toward the manager. He just gave her a smile and kept walking.

The manager had an invoice in his hand. "I have an invoice for the damages caused by one of your guests. I'll need a check from your organization in the next two days or I'll be forced to contact our attorney." He said coldly.

"May I see the invoice?" Karla asked.

He handed it over with the air of conveying a great favor. Dan read the invoice over her shoulder. It didn't specify anything except they were damages and an amount. He was prepared to dispute this amount.

Karla surprised him. "This invoice is incomplete, Mr. Lafferty. I see an amount and I see that it says for damages. There is not a list of exactly what was damaged, what just needs replacement and the cost of those items. Your staff must've been in an awful big hurry to get it for us and I appreciate it, but I'm afraid my insurance will not approve the payment of this. When I signed the rental agreement, there was a stipulation that my organization would pay all damages when an itemized invoice was presented. You can check your copy of the agreement, if you like. In the meantime you also have my home phone number and my cell number as well as the name and address of the organization. You can get in touch with us at any of those locations.

And just so you know, Mr. Lafferty, I have a list of my own of what was on that table, what was destroyed and what was damaged. I also have an attorney who specializes in fraud cases. He's always on my speed dial. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Our facility will not be available for your functions in the future." He said angrily.

"That's quite alright. We appreciate it this year but we won't be in need of your facility again. Good evening, Mr. Lafferty."

Karla left him standing in the doorway with his invoice in his hand and walked out of the room. Dan was right with her. He was having a hard time keeping a straight face. She called good night to some of the people who called to her, but she was walking fast. He had to stretch his legs to keep up with her. She just walked into the night.

TBC

"So are you always this much fun on a date?"


	7. Chapter 7 Cool Night Air

**Cool Night Air**

Karla seemed to have a definite destination in mind. She didn't say anything, she just kept walking. She was furious, he realized.

She turned the corner and he realized she was headed for a park around the corner. She didn't stop until she hit the grass. Then she abruptly stopped and stood tensely in the night. "Damn it, dammit, dammit. Every damned year it's the same thing. Damn, Lewis, Damn Mr. Lafferty and damn the whole damned legal system that makes you pay through the nose for either insurance or lawsuits. It's ludicrous and pathetic and I hate it. I hate having to play games. I hate the fact that it's never going to change no matter what I do." She turned to look at him.

"I didn't have anything to do with it." He said lightly.

She smiled sheepishly at him. "No, I know that. You just caught me venting. I do it every year and every year, I'm right back at it. I'm a hopeless optimist, I'm afraid."

"Optimism isn't always bad. But if it's so bad, why don't you let someone else do it?" he asked reasonably.

"'Cause I'm a glutton for punishment. And I keep hoping it'll be different and it never is. It's discouraging. It seems to be a human condition. Being a jerk."

"Only some people, Karla. There are a lot of good people out there. Most of the people there tonight were good, decent people. You can't blame everyone for the actions of a few. You are a good person, most of the people you work with are good people. Those are who we fight to keep safe from the ones like Lewis. He is a bully and he enjoys it. I'd bet that when we run his name we'll come up with at least one assault charge."

"I didn't really get a chance to tell you thank you for what you did back there. I appreciate you being there. He's run amok at these things too many years and people just tried to overlook it for the sake of peace. You're the first one to stand up to him. Most of our members are older as you saw and they just aren't confrontational. Thank you."

"I couldn't just stand there and let him make a nice night a disaster. I'm glad I was there. That isn't why you invited me, is it?"

Karla stiffened in annoyance. "No! And that was a terrible thing to say. I told you, I put Mark at a table with the largest men there and I would've taken care of him on my own if you hadn't been there. I would've thought you would know me at least that well by now."

"You're right. That was a terrible thing to say. I apologize."

Karla whirled away from him and began to walk again. He sighed and followed using his longer legs to come up along side of her again. She glanced at him, but didn't speak to him.

"You have tender feelings for a cop." He observed to her. "Is that why you're between assignments?" She shot him an annoyed look. Oops, wrong tact. "I didn't mean to insult you. I am very flattered that you asked me, really. There are quite a few men who would have been happy to escort you tonight."

She shook her head stubbornly. "I didn't want to ask anyone else. I don't feel a connection with them like I feel with you. Maybe because I feel like they only want one thing and I'm not into those kinds of games. I see someone like you and I think that you have more to offer and want more out of an evening than a quick roll in the hay. Not that that wouldn't be fun, but there's more to me than that and I thought you could see that."

"If you're trying to make me feel like a heel you're succeeding." Dan told her drily.

"I'm not. I'm just simple and I want a simple, straight forward date. I had hoped for that with you. Not to be accused of having ulterior motives for inviting you."

"Point taken." Time to switch tactics. "It's a little cool and you didn't take a jacket. Are you cold?"

"Not yet. It's actually invigorating. I'll be fine for now. Thank you for asking."

Dan stopped himself from blurting out that she said please and thank you more than anyone else he had ever met. At this point in time, he expected that would not go over very well. "It's a nice night for a walk."

She slowed down marginally and nodded. "It is. We can't go very far. I realize that because the limo driver won't want to try to find us after we're done. I just need to walk."

"I can just call him from where we stop. I'm paying for it. They'll come get me wherever I tell them to. Walk all you want."

"Don't you want to get home after a long day? I know you never have an easy day. It's just not in your job description." She smiled at him.

He was relieved to see her smile back. "I do have easy days, they aren't many but I do have them. I'm fine, though."

"Good."

She actually seemed really glad. He was finding her such a contradiction. His first impression had been of someone with a blatant disregard for authority and he'd really thought she was going to be trouble. Maybe she still was but it was a different kind of trouble. He opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted to go somewhere for coffee. He never got the words out.

She reached over with her hand and slipped hers into his. He was dumbfounded. She was holding his hand? Like they were teenagers? He hadn't done that in, well, forever. His body language must've registered, because she withdrew it again. "I'm sorry. That was presumptuous of me."

He quickly reached over and recaptured her hand. "You just surprised me."

Her shy smile was his reward. He also saw that she was starting to get goose bumps on her skin. He stopped her and pulled off his jacket and put it around her shoulders before reclaiming her hand. "Now you're going to be cold." She protested mildly.

"I'm fine. Would you like to go get some coffee or something?"

"I wouldn't mind some hot tea. And maybe a piece of pie?"

"And a piece of pie." He grinned at her. "There's a small diner just up around the corner."

"Nearly anywhere in New York City there's a small diner around the corner or a bar. It's the nature of the beast."

He really couldn't argue with her about that so he chose to keep quiet. The diner was nearly empty. They had it to themselves, except for the waitress and a man in the kitchen. She indicated for them to take a seat and kept on with what she was doing. Dan chose a booth toward the back of the diner and waited for Karla to sit before he took his side.

"So tell me about your organization." He was curious about her work situation, but he also didn't want to trigger her defenses again.

The waitress came with a coffee pot. She turned over Dans and poured his but Karla held her hand up. "Do you have some tea?"

"Sorry, we're out."

"Hot chocolate?"

"Out of season."

"A soda then, diet. Coke or Pepsi?"

" We have Coke."

Karla made a rueful face. "Alright. Diet whatever is fine. What kind of pie do you have?"

"Sorry, we're out of pie."

Dan couldn't believe their luck. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked.

"No. It's late and chances are most places won't have any either. Besides it's the company I'm here for. Thank you." She told the waitress.

The indifferent woman just walked away. She was just as happy not to have to do anything more anyway. Karla shook her head. "Incompetent. I hate incompetence. So you look very handsome tonight. I'd say that tux gets a lot of use."

"Not any more than I can help." He said gruffly.

The attitude didn't put her off. She grinned at him. "You're a do kind of guy, huh? Let someone else schmooz the rich and influential?"

"I've done my share, but it's not my favorite past time, no. Can you tell me who you ticked off to get this massive amount of paperwork they gave you?"

Karla laughed. "I guess it might seem to be punishment to someone who is in the thick of things like you are, but it's not really. It's what I trained to do initially and since I'm on the NYPD payroll anyway, I'm doing something that leaves other people free to do other things. And I can get it set up the way it needs to be to make it effective. I really don't mind. It's an easy assignment and it keeps me in the loop of what happens in the city."

"And you need to be kept up for what reason?"

"You're grilling me, Detective." Karla teased. "I thought you were going to be patient for a few days."

"And you're avoiding my questions." He pointed. "Okay, you're right. I did say that but now it's bothering me."

"Then forget it for awhile."

"Then what would we talk about?"

"Knitting."

"Knitting? As in with needles and yarn?"

"Yes. Knitted anything good lately?"

"Where did that come from?"

You asked what should we talk about now? I made a suggestion. If you don't want to talk about knitting it's your turn to pick a topic."

"You and Goren have the same kind of mind."

"I guess that to be a compliment? Alex seems to like him."

"I meant that you're hard to follow. You just jumped from your work to…ah, you wanted me off track, didn't you?"

"You followed me easy enough. You know realize that I don't want to talk about my position at work and I don't want heavy topics of conversation. See, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for."

"What I know is that you're trying to avoid talking about your job. And that makes me more curious than ever."

Karla sighed. "I was hoping that wouldn't happen. Alright, I'll tell you what I can and you'll have to be happy with that. Deal? I did tell you it would be only a few more days and I'd be able to tell you all of it. Deal?"

"What…?"

"Nope, not until you give me your word that we have a deal. Shake on it."

"That is ridiculous. Just tell me…."

"No. No deal no information." Karla shook her head and sat back with a stubborn look on her face.

Dan Ross glared at her for a moment, but she just gave him a bland smile and refused to be intimidated. "Fine. It's a deal." He reached across the table and shook her hand. "Now tell me what your real position is."

"Can't tell you that."

"You said you'd tell me what I wanted to know." He reminded her. "We shook on it."

Karla shook her head. "I told you I'd tell you what I could. I can't tell you that."

"Ah, I see. Did you do something wrong?"

"Yet to be decided."

"You didn't take any bribes or sell drugs out of the evidence room did you?"

Karla laughed unexpectedly. "Of course not. C'mon, ask me serious questions."

"That was a serious question." He told her.

"Then the answer is no."

"Did you punch out the wrong person? A councilman perhaps?"

"Oh, so tempting, but no. Guess again."

"This is too much like twenty questions. Are you stringing me along?"

"Dan, I like you. I really do and I won't lie to you. All I can tell you is that someone has filed a complaint against me that they're investigating and hopefully one day very soon it'll all be over and I can tell you everything. For right now, I'm in limbo and I hate it. You know, I need to go home. All of a sudden I'm tired. Would you mind if we leave now?"

Dan had the distinct impression that she was disappointed in him. He shouldn't be this sensitive to someone who worked in his office. In fact, he hoped that he hadn't made a mistake in coming out on this date at all. But he had enjoyed himself and he thought she did too. "No, it's getting late. We should go." Dan took a couple of bills out of his wallet and threw them on the table.

Karla slid out of the booth and headed for the register. She was still wearing his coat. The waitress was there in seconds. "Hey, you forgot to pay." She called.

Karla whirled on her. "That was for the check. Since the coffee looked like mud, you didn't even bring my drink and you only showed up once, don't expect a tip." She said harshly.

"I'll call the cops on you." The waitress threatened.

Dan pulled out his gold shield and showed the woman. "Don't bother. We're already here."

The waitress sent them a scalding look, but took the check back to the counter. Dan was barely in time to open the door for Karla. He noticed she didn't even say thank you.

He called the limousine company and it was there within a few moments. Karla got in and he climbed in after her, being careful of her dress. "Back to the hotel." He told the driver.

Minutes later they were back where the evening had started. Dan had the feeling that they were farther back than that. He got out and gave her a hand out of the car. She had produced a key from somewhere he wasn't sure where and had it in her hand. He offered her his arm and took the key from her. Without a word he took her to the indicated room and unlocked it checking to see that her room was safe before turning to her in the hotel lighting.

"I did have fun, Karla. This is one of the more interesting times I have had." She gave him a small smile for the comment. She wouldn't look him in the eye. "Look at me, please." She finally did and he saw anger, and hurt and confusion there. Damn she had an expressive face. He leaned over on impulse and kissed her. It was a soft apology and her lips softened for a moment then he pulled back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"Don't say you're sorry. Unless you really are. I'm not. Good night." She went into the room and closed the door.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8 Who I Really Am

**Who I Really Am**

Captain Dan Ross was fully back in control of himself and his world the next morning and back on the job. He still had doubts about how the evening before had gone and how Karla would be that morning, but he was prepared for just about all of her quirks.

Except seeing her walk into the squad in full formal blues, looking exactly like someone going to a funeral. Her hair that had been swept up in a nice crown the evening before was pulled tightly against her head in a regulation hair style and she wore her uniform like a suit of armor. She walked with an almost military precision and went straight to her office. She never even looked his way.

There was something wrong here. Something that had nothing to do with the night before. Damn it, he just had to go find out. No, leave it alone. He didn't need to get involved. He shouldn't even be considering it. It was beyond what he should be doing, getting involved with an officer in his command.

Oh, to hell with it. He cared and that couldn't be wrong. He was finding out what was wrong in his own precinct. That was part of his job, wasn't it? He'd leave the door open and not give anyone reason to talk. He refused to acknowledge that he was rationalizing.

Karla had her back to him when he entered. She was busily working on her papers. He coughed gently to get her attention and she turned to look at him. Her eyes were hooded. She was looking at him, but she was hiding behind her expression. She straightened and turned to face him. "Good morning, Captain." She said formally.

"Why the uniform? We aren't that formal around here?" he attempted levity.

"I have a meeting with the Commissioner at 11:00, sir. I wanted to be prepared."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"I was going to, sir, as soon as you didn't look busy, Captain."

"You could have told me last night." He dropped his voice so she could hear it but it wouldn't carry out of the room.

"There was a message on my answering machine when I got home." She also dropped her voice.

"This must be pretty big if you're that worried about it."

"It's my career, Dan. I worked hard for this and now it might be just taken away. And I can't do anything but wait and see what happens. Now, I'm down to the wire and it's bothering me. Can you blame me?"

"No, I can't. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, but thank you for asking. Will that be all, sir?" She resumed her normal tone of voice.

"No, as you were, Wilkes."

He left the office and went back to his. She had sergeant stripes on her sleeve. Damn, how could he have not known that. His phone was ringing. He picked it up. "Ross."

He had been ordered to attend a meeting with the Chief of D's, the Police

Commissioner and the Mayor at 11:00. He was going to be at Karlas meeting!

Murphys Law says that what ever can go wrong, will go wrong and this time proved no exception. Ross wanted to go tell Karla that he'd been called to the meeting as well but fate had other ideas. A body was found in the restroom of a city park and they wanted Major Case on it ASAP. He sent two of his detectives out there. Then his phone began to ring. It seemed most of the press wanted details from him.

Karla left the office for her meeting and he desperately wanted to go with her, but there was no way he could get off the phone in time. She was gone. He locked his office and hurried down the stairs. She was already out of sight.

He got into his car and headed for the Commissioners office. He was one of the last ones to arrive. Karla was seated nervously along the wall with three other officers all in dress blues. They were just as nervous as she was. What in the world could be going on? He eased himself toward her trying not to attract unwanted attention to himself, but to let her know he was there.

She did see him. Her eyes went wide then she looked away as though she were ashamed for him to see her there. What could be so awful?

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please have a seat. We'll be letting the press enter in just a minute and I want this all set up before they enter."

Ross took the chair at the end of the aisle and watched for Karla to look at him. She was studiously ignoring him. Okay, this wasn't good. He coughed and shifted in his chair. She wanted to look at him, he could see it, but she wouldn't. Why was she acting so weird?

The press, noisy as always, hustled inside and began to take pictures. The other officers lowered their heads, but Karen raised her chin and looked straight into the cameras. Her whole demeanor dared them to do anything to her.

"Let's get this underway." The man seated next to him mumbled.

He was surprised to find the Don Cragen sitting next to him. "Hi, Don."

"Dan. Did you get dragged to this dog and pony show, too?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I hope it takes off soon. I have a precinct to run."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this meeting. We know most of you are very busy so we won't keep you for long. The mayor would like to address you. Please hold all questions and comments until afterward. Ladies and Gentlemen, the mayor of New York City."

Don and Dan growned in unison. The mayor was not known for being a "to the point" guy. By the time he'd finished and the Police Commissioner was as well, Dans backside was getting numb. And Karla still wouldn't look at him.

The Chief of D's stood up and looked around the room. "I know it's late and we need to wrap this up, so I'm going to come straight to the point. Special Victims Unit and Major Case are swamped with work and there is too much territory to cover.

Because of this we have decided to create a new office. It will combine the forces of the two units into a single western office. It will be called the West Major Case Sector. It will consist of these three officers, Captain Samantha Sackett, Sgt. Karla Wilkes and Lt. Andrew Johnson. We want you all to give them a round of applause and welcome them to their new home. Further details will be given out at the appropriate times. Let's hear it for them, folks."

Dan was one of the ones who wanted to clap the loudest. Karlas expressive face was shocked. Her eyes met his and he had the distinct impression that she was asking for confirmation of what she had just heard. He grinned at her and she blushed. The meeting broke up and he found his way up to congratulate her. He also congratulated Sackett and Johnson, but he moved deliberately to her. "So, Sergeant Wilkes, care to go celebrate with some lunch?" he asked.

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"Wilkes, we'll need to get together and go over some details." A female voice told Karla. "How about now over lunch?"

"Captain Sackett, I, uh, " Karla stammered.

Dan turned to the woman. "You're too late, Captain. I've already invited her to lunch. You're welcome to join us, of course."

Captain Sackett looked from her new Sgt to the Captain of Major Case and made a command decision. "We'll make it later, Wilkes. Go enjoy your lunch. Johnson, how about you?"

Dan grinned at Karlas face. "She doesn't mind or she'd have said something. You and I, however, need to have a talk."

For once she was speechless. He took her by the arm and led her through the circus and outside. There was a restaurant nearby, he thought about her comment about small diners and smiled. He led her inside. They were busy, this being lunchtime and all, but he pushed his way into the private dining room. It was being set up for some kind of party.

"I'm sorry sir. This room is closed." A man told him.

Dan flashed his badge unashamedly. "I just need a few minutes alone then you can have it back. Thank you."

Disgusted the man shooed his staff from the room and closed the doors with a cold look at Ross. Dan turned to Karla. "You have been a very naughty girl and I think I should punish you." He said.

His idea of "punishment" was to take her into his arms and proceed to kiss her breathless. Karla didn't seem to mind in the least. Now that they were no longer in the same precinct, there was nothing to stop this romance. It would be all right if the world found out.

**Even the NYPD can't arrest romance.**

Complete 


End file.
